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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. CLARKE.

SLEEPING GAR.

No. 248,846. Patented Nov. 1,1881.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. CLARKE.-

SLEEPING GAR.

No. 248,846. Patented Nov. 1,1881.

Nrran Srarns ATENT @rrrrc GEORGE CLARKE, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

SLEEPlNG -CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,846, dated November 1, 1881.

Application filed May 27, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE CLARKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 643 Sixth avenue, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Cars, (for which I have received no foreign Letters Patent what ever;) and I do hereby declare that the follow ing is a specification of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad-cars arranged to be used alternately or at will as sleeping-cars, or as parlor or drawing-room or day cars. v

The objects of my invention are, first, to secure greater privacy, protection from outside currents of air, and comfort by removing the berths from the sides to the center of the car, and substituting for the center aisle two aisles, one on each side; second, to provide a movable partition in a scroll-case,located preferably at each end of the car, in the center adjoining two end compartments, and capable of being extended along the longitudinal center of the car between berths on each side of the center line, and also capable of being rolled up or in out of the way, leaving the car open from side to side; third, to provide for elevating, concealing, and stowing the upper berths beneath the center roof of the car, the concealing ceiling-panels to be lowered and used as partitions between berths at the ends; and, fourth, sundry details and devices for the convenience of travelers, hereinafter set forth. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the car; Fig.

2, a horizontal section, and Fig. 3 a transverse section.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. I

S S are scruto or scroll partitions, which are arranged to roll up in the vertical tubes or cases S S. A scruto I understand and state, for the purposes of this specification, to be a movable portion oftloorin gas of a theaterstage-composed of narrow pieces of fioor-stutf placed side by side,and held together by means of a backing of canvas or other suitable flexible material, so as to be capable of bending and passing to and fro horizontally and over (No model.)

a drum or drums, and also of forming a constituent part of the floor, where it may be desired, as across a part or the whole of the stage. My scruto-partition is made in a somewhat analogous manner. It may be composed of single pieces or slats; but I prefer to make it double-slatted, and showing a ceiling-board appearance and finish on each side. The scruto lies flat like a floor, and moves horizontally. My scruto-partition stands on edge, and moves longitudinally as such; or, standing on edge and moving to and fro, my partition becomes a scnito-partition, and both standing and moving on edge, it is removed from its position by being coiled or scrolled up in a vertical position, preferably in a vertical case or tube, S. The coiling or scrolling act of the scruto-partition is preferably aided by one or more coiled springs located within the scruto-case S; but the partition may be wound up on the center shaft of the caseS in any ordinary manner. As shown, these partitions can be drawn out nearly to the center of the car from the compartments C O at each end; but they do not touch each other, a space or' interval being left for a passage-way from one side aisle, A, to the other, A. This cross-aisle A may be omitted, or its location may be changed at will, with corresponding changes in the partitions S S.

F F is a frame-work with open panel spaces I P to receive the upper berths, B B, and the folded panels 1? P.

The partitions S S are guided and held in any ordinary manner in a groove or channel in the door of the ear at'bottom, and at top in a similar channel in the frame F, provided for tha'tpurpose, and are made stable thereby.

The cases S S are provided with coiled springs in the center, operating in any usual mannerv to aid in drawing or rolling the partitions into the .case, and they help to steady the same when drawn out.

The panels P are shown as of the length of each berth, and carry extension-slides P, in any ordinary manner, which are to be extended when the berths are to be made up, so as to reach. nearly or quite to the floor, where they may be secured in sockets or in any ordinary at head and foot of each berth. These extension-slides are to be pushed in or up when the car is to be arranged as a parlor-car, and the panels I are swung up to theceiling, as shown, under the upper berths, and held there by any ordinary catch or bolt; but I do not confine myself to this particular arrangement, as the extension part P may be hinged to the other part, P, or attached in any ordinary manner. Above the upper berths, when stowed away in the ceiling, I place an inner ceiling (shown in Fig. 3) from end to end, leaving a space for ventilation between it and the car-roof, and also affording protection to the bedding from dust, cinders, &c., and keeping them cool during the day, as well as the passenger during the night.

The upper berths l prefer to suspend by means of the folding links L L, and in addition I provide the broad bands B B, which are secured to spring-rollers R B. These cooperate with the attendant when he would lift the upper berth into its appropriate panel, and they assist in retaining the berth in its most elevated position. Other means, as sliding bolts and catches, may be used to assist in so retaining it.

For the lower berths I propose to use any of the well-known extension-chairs, which may be made either into a bed or into a chair, at will. In order to give an easy motion to these, I propose to secure them to suitable springs fastened to the floor instead of stiff legs, when required.

The windows W W, I prefer to make broad, so that the view of the passenger will belittle obstructed, and on one or both sides of the same I secure curtains at top to swinging brackets. During the day these may be used as window-curtains in any usual manner, and at night they may be swung over a quarter of a circle, and being secured there, across the side aisle at head and foot of each berth, will, with the upper and lower berths, form a cosy private bed-room. These private apartments are suited and intended particularly for the use of ladies when unattended by gentlemen, and one end of one side-say that adjoining the ladies lavatory-may thus be entirely secluded and protected from intrusion, proper notices being displayed to warn against intrusion, and the other aisle or aisles being left for the use of gentlemen, so far as required, with free access to all conveniences required by them. Even the whole of one side of the car may be set apart for the use of ladies in this manner, and to whatever extent it may be done the many annoyances, discomforts, and occasional indecenies now met with in sleepingears of the kinds now inuse may be materially mitigated, if not entirely avoided.

In order to make the seclusion still more complete, when desired, I place in the side of the car, between the windows, a looking-glass, G, a towel-drawer, T, and below these a basin or bowl, 0, so hung or suspended that when about to be used it may be turned bottom down under a faucet, as shown, to receive water from a pipe extending from a reservoir along the ear above the windows, and so that when raised on the inner side the dirty water will run from its outer lip into a waste-pipe leading out of the car, and when still further raised it will pass, with its top outward and its bottom inward, into a recess provided to receive it, where it may be covered in out of sight in any ordinary manner.

To the upper berth I secure a folding ladder, by means of which ladies and others may more conveniently than now reach that berth.

In addition to the use of the partition S, as shown in cars, I contemplate its use also in houses instead of folding doors. I make it by securin g to each side of a lining of strong canvas or other suitable material in any ordinary way-i. e., by glue or other means of fastening--strips of wood cut suificiently narrow to allow of their being rolled up, and so as to fit neatly edge to edge when drawn out straight.

Metal strips may be used instead of wooden ones, if desired, and both may be ornamented as required.

The scruto-case may alsobe made in the form of an ornamental column in any variety of design.

To the sides of the car, between the windows, I attach folding chairs, which may be let down so as to occupy part of the aisle at the side of the car and adjoining the window, or be folded up out of the way against the side of the car. I attach these chairs to the car in such a manner that they can be instantly reversed and made to face the front end of the car in either direction.

The aisles A and A being located at the sides and the berths in the center of the car, the weight, both in an empty and in a loaded car, is placed in or near the longitudinal center of the car, which, in consequence, rides upon its trucks more steadily, and with less tendency to roll from side to side, and less tendency to leave the track in rounding curves than in the cars with a center aisle. This arrangement and location of the load tends to relieve the running-gear of the car from unequal strains and wear, and to diminish the danger of derailment in turning curves in the road.

I claim- 1. The scruto-partition S, extending from floor to ceiling, located and movable to and fro in the longitudinal center of the car independent ofthe berths and berth-frames, whereby the car is divided into two or more separate apartments, as shown and described.

2. A vertical scruto or partition, S, moving to and fro longitudinally in the longitudinal center of the car.

3. The panel-spaces P, berths B, and panels P, arranged to perform the functions, at will,

either of a ceiling panel to conceal the berth I removable for the purpose of reforming these B or of a partition between berths, substanl apartments into one, extending from side to tially as shown and described. 1 side.

4. A movable entire partition located in the GEORGE CLARKE. 5 longitudinal center of a car and movable lon- 'Witnesses:

gitudinally for the purpose of dividing the car JAMES A. SKIL'roN, into apartments on each'side, and alternately LAWRENCE ANSERT. 

